Winter storm watch issued for area

February 3, 2011

The Golden Triangle region may awake Friday morning to a coating of frozen precipitation, possibly impacting travel, forecasters said Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch in effect this evening through Friday morning for Oktibbeha and surrounding counties.
The watch text says forecasters believe the eventâ€™s timing will run between 6 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday.
They expect a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain to develop Thursday evening, then change over to freezing rain and sleet during the night, the watch reads.
The culprit will be a low pressure system developing over the Gulf of Mexico.
The possibility exists of up to one-half-inch of ice and sleet â€“ plus a light collection of snow.
Power issues may develop in areas with the highest ice accumulations as ice gathers on power lines and trees, NWS officials said. â€śTravel will likely become hazardous,â€ť the watch text reads.
Forecasters expect warmer air to move in from the east during the morning Friday, with conditions improving between 3 and 9 a.m. and temperatures reaching a point just above freezing by 9 a.m. Friday.
NWS meterologists asked the public to continue to keep an eye on additional forecasts.